Protect poor, elderly; change spending

Got a grin out of two recent letters to the editor. One calls the Occupy Wall Street crowd fleas, one claims Occupy Wall Street fringe elements are suspicious. Have they forgotten the early Tea Party rallies where they had signs of racism and bigotry? Have they forgotten about the disrespect they gave to anyone who doesn't support them, as they continue to do so, and that their resources come from billionaires like the Koch brothers?

As to the proud boast about being one of the

53 percent who pay taxes: Who are the 47 percent who don't pay taxes? Of the 47 percent, 30.4 percent get tax deductions because of living on Social Security or they are the working poor with children whose earnings are so low their tax deductions for the kids eliminate paying taxes. The remaining 16.6 percent get tax deductions for their investment income, itemized deductions and spending on education.

Being angry about our economic condition is not a left or right issue. But we must understand how we got here. A lot of it has to do with government spending on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just as much has to do with bad decision-making of corporate chief executive officers. The only way out of this mess is to change tax policies in an equitable manner. Change spending policies and protect the poor and elderly.

Steve Breese

Solon